Over one filthy-gorgeous weekend this time last year, London audiences got their first taste of Christeene, the alt-drag rapper who looks like shit and shines with love. Coming out of Austin, Texas, she’s the real deal, bringing an onslaught of freaky-eyed guerilla performance that combines seriously tight tunes such as Tears from My Pussy, African Mayonnaise and Workin’ on Grandma (check out the videos below) with booty-shaking, umbrella-twirling back-up from two-man trailer-park chorus line T Gravel and C Baby. Created and performed by Paul Soileau, she’s a sacrificial lamb in soiled-bedclothes couture, an intense, unmissable one-off takin’ it hard for all us sinners. As she prepares to return to the UK for runs at Soho Theatre and the Edinburgh Fringe, I caught up with Christeene over email. To give you an authentic sense of Christeene's distinctive way with words, we've left her replies exactly as we received them.

Ben: Hi Christeene, how are you? What are you up to right now?
Christeene: Ohh Haaaaaaay Ben! My feelinz r fuckin flyin all OVER da place cuz uh diz tour gittin ret too slap my dick. Whut am i up tooo? Riyeet now i am whisperin to my chickenz in da yard about personal thangz.

Ben: You were in London last year. How did you find the city? What are you looking forward to about coming back?
Christeene: i wuz indeed in Londontowne laz year an it wuz fuggin AMAZE BALLZ. We got to perform ferr my baybeez Simon [Casson] an Dicky [Eton] at DUCKIE which blew my fuggn mind an my pantz off. an Derr iz this place called Vogue Fabrics an dey were so nice an Lyall Hakaraia let us into his basement to destroy ourselves an East Londontowne too. We met da most amazing people like Princess Julia an Lavinia Co-Op an Bari Goddard an [Soho Theatre programmer] Steve Lock an some gurl in da bathrooom stall an we met you toooo!
i cant fuggin wait tooo get back an see all deez beautiful strange people an i cant wait to git my hands on sum London ass cuz IT.IZ.HAWT. X

Ben: Your live shows are pretty wild. What should newcomers expect?
Christeene: Expect nothin an brang everything.

Ben: Tell me a little about your home and upbringing.
Christeene: peeple tell me dat i just appeared one day. dats how i feel an dats really all i can remember. i dont have no memory of a mama an daddy. i dont have no memory of a home. i juz remember feeelinz. I remember my Boyz T Gravel an C Baby an [DJ and songwriter] JJ Booya laughin in a room somewherr. i remember da smell uh trees an i remember chickens.  

Ben: You have a very distinctive style. What do you consider when putting together a look?
Christeene: i look at all da fuggin shit people are wearin an i think derr is no fuggin way im gunna git dat kinda shit so i dig deep in my closet inside my head an den all da pieces start too appear in front of mee in my dayz activities an i start to put all da pieces together. panty hose. pillow cases. plumbing equipment. dirt. My best lover friend RICK OWENS teaches me a lot about makin majiik outta scraps. he has witch powers in his long beautiful hair.

Ben: How did music come into your life? What does your own music allow you to do?
Christeene: music is like a bird in my mouth dat i didn't know i had. It woke up in my mouth one day an spread my lips open wit its wings an told mee thingz. it iz a most delicate bird an a very tricky bird. it allows me to say da things that whisper in my head an wake me up at night. it allows me to demand attention an hold hearts and souls in my hand for squeezin.

Ben: You've been known to spit at audiences. What's that about?
Christeene: dat is my bird kissin you. it iz a most wonderful thang to recieve

Ben: There's yearning or sadness in a lot of your songs. Do you think you've had a raw deal?
Christeene: no no not at all. well    sometimes yeah. But everybody got those thingz inside them an many times it dont matter whether or not we all got da same thingz we dealin with cuz no matter whut it iz still da same feelin. Da same sadness or empty bucket feelin. I git sad sometimes     yeah.

Ben: What puts the biggest smile on your face? When are you happiest?
Christeene: when i git on dat fuggin stage wit my boyz an i feel da fire of dat crowd i can do anything an i feel like kathleeeen turner in dat movie romancin da stone when She gits to take her clothes off and git nekid wit Michael Douglas.

Ben: Anything else we should know?
Christeene: i like to eat gross thingz before i go to sleep

Christeene: The Christeene Machine is at Soho Theatre from June 24 to July 5, plus a very special cameo at Duckie's Gay Shame and Lesbian Weakness at the Electric Ballroom on June 28, then at Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh, from July 31 to August 23. christeenemusic.com